Improvement in photographic background



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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE,

DANIEL W.. VAN RIPER, OF COLUMBUS, GEORGIA.

IMPRQVEMENT IN PHOTOGRAPHIC BACKGROUND.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 107,] 29, dated September 6, 1870.

To all whom 'it may concern Be it known that I, DANIEL W. VAN RIPER, of Columbus, in the county of Muscogee and State of Georgia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Photographic Background and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, in which- The drawing represents a perspective view of my improved background.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

My invention has for its object to produce a negative from the camera which, with the exception of the figure or figures to be repreresented on the card or larger picture, shall be perfectly bare glass, or as transparent as the deepest shadows of' the said picture, producing a dark background, and lighting up the darkest outlines of the ligure or ligures to any desired extent, so that the figures may be clearly outlined; or, in other words, accomplishing the reversion of the lights and shadows of the subject and background relatively, according to the Wishes of the operator, the circumstances of the case, and the eect desired to be produced; and it consists in the hollow cone-shaped background forming a recess or chamber, so that the light falling into it may produce the varied or graduated effects desired, as hereinafter more fully described.

A represents ahollow cone or chamber made ot' any suitable material, and mounted upon a stand, B, in such a way that it may be adjusted laterally and vertically.

The chamber or background A may be made ot' any desired size, to give the desired plain black or graduated 0r cloudy effect around or upon one or both sides of the sitter.

l prefer to make the background ot' zinc or other flexible material, Which will allow the shape of the background to be changed as required.

Having thus described myinvention, Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Paten t A conical-shaped recessed background or chamber, to be used in connection with a canr era to produce a negative the background of which shall be perfectly transparent, or shall pass gradually from perfect transparency to semi-transparency, substantially as herein described and set forth.

The above specification of my invention signed by me this 4th day of June, 1870.

DANIEL W.. VAN RIPER.

Witnesses:

GEO. W. MABEE, JAMES T. GRAHAM. 

